Thanksgiving conjures images of celebrating with family and friends while savoring delicious, indulgent meals. Yet, at its core, Thanksgiving is a holiday of gratitude — it’s a good time to host Thanksgiving fundraising events and allow your potential attendees to give back to the community.

For event creators looking to make a meaningful impact, Thanksgiving offers a unique opportunity to weave the spirit of giving into their events. As an event organizer, you have much to be thankful for — from your loyal ticket buyers who show up at your event to the dedicated staff and volunteers and the valued partners, guest speakers, and artists who lend their magic to your gatherings.  

During this time of year, people seek ways to extend their gratitude and give back, making it the perfect time to host events supporting nonprofit organizations. So, if you’re eager to combine gratitude and festivity, we’ve got some really exciting Thanksgiving fundraising ideas to inspire you to create impactful events.

17 Thanksgiving Fundraiser Ideas

How to throw a Thanksgiving fundraiser

Traditional Thanksgiving fundraising ideas

Virtual fundraising ideas

Creative fundraising ideas

Giving back ideas

Crowd laughing and having fun

How to throw a Thanksgiving fundraiser

Throwing a fundraiser event can be a fulfilling endeavor. At Eventbrite, we understand the intricacies of organizing remarkable charity events. Here are some steps to plan and execute a successful Thanksgiving fundraising event.

1. Decide the nature of your event: The purpose and style of your event, your target audience, location, local weather, etc., all play a crucial role in setting the tone for the planning process.

2. Time your event right: The date you choose shouldn’t clash with attendees’ travel plans or Thanksgiving dinner arrangements with their families. Consider hosting your event the week or days before or after Thanksgiving.

3. Determine your budget: Estimate expenses for food, venue, entertainment, decorations, and promotion. Don’t forget to allocate funds for unexpected costs.

4. Plan donation collection: Choose a donation method that aligns with your event’s nature, whether collecting supplies, food, clothing, or monetary contributions.

5. Create an event schedule: List out tasks, create a timeline, and finalize the event agenda. Timing is also vital to effective marketing and promotion.

6. Brand your event: Your event’s branding communicates its purpose and draws in your target audience. Consider using assets like inspirational videos to convey your message and tie your branding to the event’s theme.

7. Secure guests and performers: Choose performers and special guests that align with your event’s theme and demographic. Contact them well in advance to ensure availability and coordination of rehearsals.

8. Prepare ticket sales: Determine your ticketing strategy. Eventbrite offers options such as donation tickets and free tickets with add-ons for merchandise sales, all designed to support your cause effectively.

9. Focus on promotion: Effective promotion is crucial to attract guests and donors. Use various communication channels, both online and offline, including fundraising pages, flyers, social media, and email campaigns, to get the word out.

10. Follow-up after the event: Show gratitude by following up with guests and supporters. Send thank-you notes and update them on the impact their contributions made. You can also gather feedback to improve future events this way.

Following these steps will help you plan and execute a successful Thanksgiving charity event, leaving a positive impact on your community and your cause.

People cooking at an event
Cooking + Comedy / Get in the Kitchen! / Chicago, IL

Traditional Thanksgiving fundraising ideas

Throwing a Thanksgiving fundraiser doesn’t have to be something complicated. Here are some of the simplest and time-tested ways of supporting fundraising campaigns through events.

1. Donate some or all of your proceeds to charity

Finding a charity that aligns with your brand values and speaks to your attendees will inspire them to donate more. Give the charity the spotlight in your event, or you can go all out and design your entire event around supporting that charity.

Choose a theme that makes sense for the charity you support and reflects your organization’s identity.

Don’t worry about collecting funds — you can use Eventbrite’s Event Payment System to easily collect money for your events. 

Creative Girls Rock hosts an annual Charity Sneaker Ball in Nashville, Tennessee, where attendees are encouraged to pair their black-tie attire with their best pair of sneakers. 

The proceeds from the event are used “to create additional programming for young girls and women,” and the event itself showcases art, fashion, and music. The event creators work with vendors and sponsors to create a memorable event that benefits the young women in their community.

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2. Host a bake sale with Thanksgiving-themed treats

Offer a wide range of baked goods that capture the essence of Thanksgiving, from traditional pumpkin pies and apple crisps to creatively-themed cookies and artisanal bread. Complement them with attractive packaging to keep the goodies fresh and to make them suitable for gifts for friends and family. 

However, don’t limit your bake sale to sweets alone. Include savory options, such as stuffing muffins, savory tarts, or cheese platters, to cater to a broader audience and add a unique twist to your sale.

Fostering a sense of community can make your fundraiser more successful. You can do so by collaborating with local restaurants, bakers, or home cooks to diversify your offerings. Consider setting up an online pre-order system to allow attendees to reserve their favorite treats in advance. This will ensure you have enough stock without overproducing. It will also create anticipation for the event.

3. Organize a classic Thanksgiving dinner fundraiser

A Thanksgiving dinner fundraiser is a time-tested way to raise funds while fostering a sense of community. To make it a hit, consider unique elements like hosting a themed dinner, offering exclusive dishes not typically found on Thanksgiving menus, or partnering with local vendors or farms like Deaf New Americans Advocacy does for their Thanksgiving event to empower the Deaf community.

The scrumptious meal served at the event is prepared with produce grown at Asha Laaya, a Deaf run farm in Syracuse, NY. 

Create an atmosphere of gratitude and make it easier for attendees to contribute by collecting donations with Eventbrite. You can share stories of the impact you made or hope to make to inspire generosity while enjoying a delicious meal.

Guests at pizza making class

4. Provide discount codes for your Thanksgiving charity events

Use discount codes to give ticket-buyers a deal on your event. You could offer discounted tickets to a specific set of people, like seniors or those buying in bulk. Or you could let anyone use the code on registration during a given window of time. (Bonus: these limited-time offers can create urgency and boost sales.)

As a creator on Eventbrite, you can also use discount codes in order to easily navigate guests’ tickets and determine the charity recipients.

5. Host a Thanksgiving dinner fundraiser with local businesses

You can collaborate with sponsors to organize a free or subsidized Thanksgiving dinner for the community, like Heavy Smoker BBQ, which provides turkeys for the Viking Masek Thanksgiving Feast, available to all attendees without charge.

However, your event need not be entirely free. Take, for instance, the annual ACF Spaghetti Dinner hosted by the Art Central Foundation at Bandanas Italian Eatery. 

Attendees enjoy a delightful evening featuring a delicious dinner, signature cocktails, and raffle activities while supporting a good cause. Additionally, they can order supplementary menu items for an additional charge. This approach allows for flexibility and inclusivity in fundraising.

6. Collect donations with a Thanksgiving dinner giveaway

Prepare to enjoy a fun-filled Thanksgiving evening full of laughter, joy, and delicious food by organizing a dinner giveaway. To ensure venue capacity and food preparations are enough, get attendees to sign up for the event and disclose your event location only to those who RSVP.

Alternatively, you can limit entry like Chef Ty does for their annual Thanksgiving dinner giveaway. The event promises an evening full of joy, gratitude, and a tasty meal prepared in Ty’s Kitchen. They use Eventbrite’s donation tickets to collect funds, but you can also consider finding sponsors for your charity event. 

Depending on your target audience and the scope of your event, you can also make it a pay-what-you-can option, making it accessible to a broader audience while raising substantial funds.

instagram to promote event

Virtual fundraising ideas

If your target audience is globally distributed, like digital nomad communities or remote teams of an organization, or you’re simply looking to reach a wider audience, consider hosting virtual events this Thanksgiving and holiday season. Here are a few creative event ideas for an engaging virtual fundraising campaign. 

7. Hosting a silent auction or raffle with Thanksgiving-themed prizes

Hosting a silent auction or a raffle with Thanksgiving-themed prizes is an excellent way to raise funds while engaging a wide audience. 

Collect donated items for the auction or raffle and amplify the event’s appeal by narrowing the theme, such as a Thanksgiving event for dogs like Ruff Start Rescue. They target a specific audience and foster a sense of community through their annual online auction to improve animal welfare in the community.

On the other hand, James E. Stewart Lodge 49 hosts a ticketed Charity Basket of Cheer raffle to raise funds to support their numerous statewide charitable events. They provide detailed descriptions of prizes and invoke the spirit of giving by highlighting their endeavors and why people should participate in their events.

8. Host a virtual talent show or open mic night

Hosting a Thanksgiving-themed virtual talent show or open mic night is a creative approach to fundraising that can engage a diverse audience while raising funds effectively. Furthermore, it can add a festive touch and attract a specific audience. 

To make it a success, it’s essential to encourage various talents, from singing and dancing to comedy and storytelling, creating a captivating and diverse lineup. 

Promotion is key, and you can reach a broader audience by leveraging Eventbrite’s marketing platform to promote your event on social media and through email marketing. Additionally, involving the audience by allowing them to vote for their favorite acts through online polling or donations can enhance engagement and drive contributions. 

To maximize donations, consider offering different donation tiers, each with unique perks, such as access to exclusive content or personalized shoutouts from performers. 

9. Host a Thanksgiving fitness or circuit training session

Hosting a virtual Thanksgiving fitness or circuit training session is a dynamic way to raise funds through crowdfunding while promoting a healthy start to Turkey Day. Set a minimum donation limit for registration, encouraging participants to contribute as they prepare their bodies for the indulgent feast to follow.

This energizing session can particularly attract fitness enthusiasts and people who care about their health and wellness. 

Be sure to mention which fitness level is suitable for the event. Better yet, design the program to cater to all fitness levels, ensuring attendees feel neither overwhelmed nor undertrained. Inclusivity will ensure that your fitness or training live session can become an effective and enjoyable fundraising event.

10. Hosting a virtual Thanksgiving cooking or baking class

Plan a Thanksgiving-themed cooking class, trivia night, or a virtual concert that attendees can attend from wherever they are. If you’re hosting a crafting or cooking event, remember to send the materials along before the event or provide attendees with a list of the ingredients or tools they will need.

Pursuit of Balance Non-Profit is hosting a virtual baking class teaching attendees how to create a flaky, tender homemade pie crust prior to their Thanksgiving events. All proceeds from the event will go directly to the Pursuit of Balance Non-Profit.

People participating in a 5k fun run

Creative fundraising ideas

Get ready to infuse creativity into your event! This section explores unique and imaginative Thanksgiving and Fall fundraising ideas to raise funds that go beyond the traditional. From organizing a turkey trot to creating custom merchandise, these creative ideas add a dash of innovation to your efforts, making your event memorable and impactful.

11. Organize a Turkey Trot

Turkey Trots are growing in popularity across the country. Avid runners and joyful walkers come together for a 5K race, often complete with Thanksgiving-themed costumes. 

Join in the trend and create your own fun run event. Donate proceeds from the run directly to charity, or have your runners collect donations from family and friends. 

Some organizations have chosen to take their 5K event online; participants receive T-shirts or other swag in the mail and can upload their run information during a limited time window.

The Center for Human Services – Missouri hosts its annual Turkey Trot in Sedalia, Missouri. Participants run or walk a 5K or 1-mile race or participate in a Gobbler Dash. 

All of the proceeds from the event go toward the Center for Human Service’s programs, which support more than 5,000 individuals and families in 39 Missouri counties. This creator is streamlining the process by mailing all race bibs and T-shirts to participants prior to the event to avoid the hassle of organizing pick-up.

12. Add a fundraising component to your self-care class

Even if you’re planning an event or workshop that isn’t focused on Thanksgiving, you can use it for a fundraising campaign this time of the year. Announce to potential attendees that you are donating a certain amount of money to a nonprofit organization for every ticket sold or that you’re donating a portion of your profits. 

You can also give ticket buyers the option to add on a donation as they check out. Your organization’s generosity can inspire potential attendees to support your chosen charity and help them decide to purchase tickets to your event because of the charitable component.

Claire Osborne, Yoga and Movement teacher and Yoga Therapist, is holding weekly donation-based Sit For Peace sessions during Thanksgiving, with donations going to the Medecin Sans Frontiers (Doctors Without Borders) and Yoga Mandala Project. Participants get to invite peace into their bodies, hearts, and minds while getting the satisfaction of supporting a good cause.

13. Open your farm to visitors to get their support

Transform your farm into a festive haven by welcoming visitors for a day of Thanksgiving-themed activities. You can charge an entry fee and let visitors immerse themselves in farm life — pick and carve pumpkins like you would on Halloween, interact with friendly animals, and enjoy a farm-fresh produce market.

You can make things more interesting by holding contests like a pumpkin pie bake-off or a chilli cook-off to heat things up!

Here With Us Farm Sanctuary embraces the “Thanksgiving for the Turkeys” trend and invites guests to spend a day connecting with the turkeys, feeding them, and gaining insights into their lives. Whether supporting your farm or promoting compassion, these engaging activities can make your fundraiser memorable and impactful.

14. Find sponsors that matter to you and your guests

Find sponsors who share your event’s vision. The right sponsor might become a long-term partner for greater impact in your community, so choose your sponsors carefully. For example, partner with socially responsible brands and let your potential attendees know you’ve got a great sponsor: remember, consumers appreciate corporate responsibility.

FoCo Cafe in Fort Collins, Colorado, provides traditional, locally sourced Thanksgiving lunches on the holiday, and attendees can pay it forward and pay for someone else’s meal beforehand. The organization is sponsored by local farms, vendors, and businesses that help them provide sustainable, nourishing meals to their community. 

Their philosophy is that if you can give more, pay it forward with an extra meal for someone else. Or if you have less to pay, you can pay what you can and still get a tasty meal. Using local and seasonal ingredients, FoCo does less harm to the Earth while helping people.

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Giving back ideas

Let’s embrace the spirit of giving back and explore creative ways to make a positive impact on your community, from supporting local charities to organizing events that contribute to a greater cause. Dive into meaningful ways to give thanks by giving back during this season of gratitude.

15. Give your charity a booth and airtime at your event for free

Donate a booth or table to your favorite charity or charities at your event and ensure they get prominent placement and lots of hype in your marketing materials. This is an excellent way of giving back without spending much money or time. 

Offer these guests the opportunity to share more about their charity/organization at your event. Prearrange a time limit for them to tell a story of the impact of their organization’s cause that will encourage attendees to support them.

When selling tickets on Eventbrite, you can choose to enable different ticket types, such as VIP tickets. Consider creating ticket tiers that include larger donation amounts for your chosen charity — with the top tier including the greatest donation amount. This crowdfunding strategy enhances your charitable impact by involving the audience in contributing to your fundraising campaign.

16. Host a volunteer event

Many local charity organizations hold volunteer events during Thanksgiving to get extra hands to serve. For example, local restaurants or meal services providing charity meals depend on volunteers to prepare, serve, and distribute food to hundreds of families. Similarly, shelters, schools, animal shelters, and veteran affairs will likely benefit from a volunteer event at this time of the year.

Thanksgiving for Paso Robles hosts a free Thanksgiving community meal for 1,500 people every year. This huge undertaking is entirely organized and executed by volunteers, and the preparation takes several days, and about 200 people work 1,200 hours. Without volunteers, events like this just wouldn’t happen!

17. Give thanks to the Earth by taking care of it 

Say “thanks” to Mother Nature by creating as little waste as possible. You can use recyclable or compostable materials and go paper-free whenever you can.

You can host a workshop or a masterclass on creating a sustainable event from start to finish, educating the community members on how to be less wasteful during the holiday season. Think responsible food sourcing, zero-waste cooking, responsible food storage, and using up leftovers. 

You can apply the same idea to Thanksgiving decorations or any other aspect related to your community, brand, and cause.

nonprofit event venue questions

Ready to try out these Thanksgiving fundraising ideas?

Now that you have all the inspiration you need to host a charity event for Thanksgiving, sign up for Eventbrite to make your planning and promotion easy. Utilize Eventbrite to collect donations and sell different ticket types directly on your website or Facebook page. You can also leverage the platform’s event marketing platform to reach a broader audience through social media. 

After the event, utilize Eventbrite’s data analysis tools to evaluate the ROI, ensuring you’ve maximized the positive impact of your Thanksgiving fundraiser on the community. Choosing a fundraising idea aligned with your organization’s goals and resources ensures a meaningful and successful event.